IRVINE, Calif., Oct. 6, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Since BOTOX® Cosmetic (onabotulinumtoxinA) was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) almost 10 years ago, there have been approximately 11 million treatments administered. In that time, women's perceptions of BOTOX® Cosmetic have changed, and Allergan, Inc. (NYSE: AGN), maker of BOTOX® Cosmetic, is sharing key data on these changes:

The number of women considering talking to their doctors about BOTOX® Cosmetic treatment more than quadrupled from 1.3 million in 2002 to 5.8 million(i) in 2010.

The number of women who think that BOTOX® Cosmetic is an effective means for treating frown lines between the eyebrows has increased from 21 percent when the product was approved to 79 percent in 2010(ii).

Moreover, the BOTOX® Cosmetic patient profile has evolved and today's "typical" patient is a highly educated, working woman in her 40s. Sixty-four percent of BOTOX® Cosmetic patients hold a four-year college degree or a post-graduate degree, and 74 percent work a full- or part-time job. Women have also become more open about treatment; in fact, 90 percent of women who have been treated with BOTOX® Cosmetic say they would recommend treatment to a friend.

"Women's understanding and appreciation of BOTOX® Cosmetic has significantly evolved over the past decade, and as the market leader, we continually invest in educational initiatives that provide women with relevant information they need to make well-informed decisions about treatment," said Colleen McKenna, Senior Marketing Director, Allergan Medical. "Our partnership with actress Courtney Thorne-Smith and the non-profit organization HealthyWomen is our latest initiative to address pressing questions women have about medical aesthetic injectable treatments like BOTOX® Cosmetic."

Allergan and HealthyWomen, the nation's leading independent health information source for women, conducted a Harris Interactive® nationwide survey to identify the most common questions women have about medical aesthetic injectable treatments. Courtney Thorne-Smith validates she had many of the same questions before she was first treated with BOTOX® Cosmetic.